Top 10 Secrets to Maintaining Your Brain Health

by Daniel Calder, WebPsychology

Since the brain is part of the body, it should come as no surprise that maintaining physical health goes hand-in-hand with maintaining neurological health. Unfortunately, not all Americans realize this connection. Nevertheless, researchers have continually found that taking care of the body directly impacts assessment scores measuring cognitive ability.

Maintain Physical Activity

It might not seem like much, but even simple walking exercises can keep your brain fit and your memory sharp. In one study, conducted by researchers from the University of Kansas, only 75 minutes of walking per week resulted in superior scores on a set of cognitive tests. Indeed, the longer the subjects walked a week, the greater their scores improved.This correlation held all the way up to 225 minutes a week.

Quit Smoking

It is well-known that smoking is bad for your body, but it is also likely bad for your brain. Some studies have suggested that smoking in middle age may increase the smoker’s risk of dementia. You may not only be protecting your lungs by smoking cessation, but your brain as well.

Keep Blood Pressure In Check

It is not yet clear whether high blood pressure contributes to the onset of dementia. However, high blood pressure does entail the risk of vascular disease. The latter may contribute to the risk of dementia.

Eat Healthily

Eat, drink and be merry! But be sure that what you eat is healthy. Low-fat protein sources such as lean meat, skinless poultry and fish will help maintain brain health. Fruit and vegetables, unsurprisingly, are helpful as well. Avoid alcohol, since this can contribute to confusion and memory loss in old age.

Fellowship With Friends

Being lonely is literally deadly. Social isolation can contribute to stress and depression, and these in turn contribute to memory loss. Always search out opportunities to fellowship with loved ones.

Keep Your Brain Busy

There are plenty of ways of effectively remaining mentally active. Doing crossword puzzles or learning a new instrument may both help with this. These activities not only keep the brain in shape, but they may stave off memory loss as well.

Stay Organized

A disorganized life is confusing enough even for a mentally healthy person. Unfortunately, the difficulty of navigating such may only increase with age. Make sure you write down appointments, tasks and other events on a calendar or a notebook. Repeating entries aloud will help with memory retention. Make sure to check off completed tasks.

Stay Rested

Sleep is a very important part of maintaining neurological health. Indeed, one of the purposes of sleep is to help consolidate memories so they can be voluntarily recalled later. The average adult requires between seven and eight hours of sleep per day.

Take Care of Chronic Conditions

Make sure you follow the doctor’s orders when managing a chronic condition. First, certain medications may negatively impact memory. Let your doctor know if your medications are impeding your memory excessively. Furthermore, chronic conditions such as depression or thyroid problems may directly impact memory in a negative way. It is therefore important to comply with medication regimes.

Take Appropriate Supplements

Found in fish, omega-3 fatty acids can reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. They do this by protecting the brain against inflammation. They also protect your arteries and help maintain good blood flow to the brain.